Every guitarist and bassist knows how important effects pedals are to your sound, whether it's on the stage or in the studio. What some may have yet to discover, though, is just how much a pedalboard can help manage those effects units. These boards act as a convenient home for your pedals, making your effects easier to use and set up. The more effects you have to work with, the more useful a pedalboard is.

If you've never used one before, it's a safe bet that once you give it a try you'll never want to go back to scattered stompboxes. Since pedals often have to be hit with exact timing, you want to make sure they're always where you expect them to be—a pedalboard ensures the layout stays consistent, even from one gig to another, so you'll always have an easy time aiming for the switches. Many pedalboards are powered, meaning they have a built-in power adapter to feed DC juice to your pedals. No more messing around with batteries or a collection of power bricks, since the electric supply is managed by the pedalboard. This also means that your pedals will take up fewer wall outlets, which is great news since those can be in short supply in a lot of venues.

Pedalboards are one way to make life on the road a lot easier, too. When you're on tour and setting up for a new gig every night, a board saves you the trouble of plugging in every pedal individually. You'll pull them all out of the bag ready to go—just plug the pedalboard in, connect the guitar and amp, and you're ready to play. It doesn't matter if you're travelling in rock star style or just heading to rehearsal or a local battle of the bands. A pedalboard means that your pedals will set up in moments, and they'll always be just the way you want them. Choose a board with its own built-in or bundled travel case, and your effects will be ready to hit the road as soon as you are.